Forgotten
by hjr
Summary: Set after the finale. Cindy, Emma, and Zach lie gravely wounded as a result of the mortar attack launched by Charles Widmore. The only one aware of the plight of these last three survivors is the ghost of Michael.
1. Despair

Author's Note: I was really annoyed at the finale's complete lack of resolution regarding Michael and Walt, and also didn't like the way the fates of Cindy, Emma, and Zach were left unresolved. This story is an attempt to rectify those omissions.

* * *

"Help."

The craziness of the past few days had interfered with the ghost of Michael's consciousness. The last thing he remembered was the mortar attack launched by Charles Widmore from Hydra Island to the main island. The attack was preposterous, as it could not have damaged the intended target, common known as the Man in Black, but could easily have killed the few innocent remaining survivors.

After a substantial amount of turbulence, the island appeared to have settled down. The transfer of power was complete. Yet something was wrong.

"Help."

Michael cleared his mind, and was able to trace the source of the plaintive cries. His spirit drifted quickly towards the ferry, located at the nearest point to Hydra Island. The sight broke his heart. A short distance inland, a woman and two children lay gravely wounded. The woman's leg was pinned under a thick tree trunk, the girl's leg was bent unnaturally, and the boy simply stared into space, suffering from a concussion and shock.

_They're still alive! _Michael recognized the woman as Cindy, the flight attendant who was one of the tail-end survivors. They had been together a few days before she mysteriously disappeared while they were trekking from the tail crash site southward to the fuselage crash site. The girl and boy were a sister and brother, about fourteen and twelve years old now, and he had learned their names were Emma and Zach. Michael had seen them briefly a few times while he was held captive in the Others' camp.

Michael made his presence known by whispering, causing the wind to suddenly pick up. While Cindy did not respond, Emma and Zach, the two who had made the weak cries for help, were able to see Michael's ghost.

Emma blinked. "Are you here to help us?"

Michael: "Yes, I'm going to get you help. There are people here who will help you."

Zach sensed something was strange, as if he could practically see through Michael's image. "You're not real, are you? You're one of those ghosts we see sometimes?"

"That's right."

Emma fought to make sense of the situation. "I remember you – you were the one who was tied to a post. That was like three years ago."

_Three years?_ thought Michael. _I must try to regain my sense of time._

Cindy became aware the children were talking to someone. "Who are you talking to?"

"It's a man who was in our village for a while a long time ago," replied Zach.

Cindy craned her neck, but no one was else was visible to her.

"There's no one there; you're imagining things." _Poor kids have gone delirious._

"I see him too, but he's a ghost," Emma defended her little brother.

Michael tried to console the siblings. "It's all right, not everyone can see me. Children on this island are special and can see things that most adults can't. I have to go now to get help. But hang in there, will you?"

"We will," Emma and Zach said in unison, but without the strength of voice Michael had hoped for.

Michael disappeared from Emma and Zach's view, and shortly reappeared near the source, where Hurley, Ben, and Desmond were recovering from the day's ordeal. The trio heard unintelligible whispering, and weren't sure to what to make of it at first. Then Michael's ghost became visible to Hurley and Desmond.

Hurley spoke first. "Dude, what are you doing here? It's all okay now."

"It is not okay. There are still people on this island that need your help."

"But there's nobody left, except for Rose and Bernard, and they want to be left alone."

"Who are you talking to, Hugo?" queried Ben.

"It's Michael. You can't see him?"

"I wouldn't ask if I could."

"I see him," offered Desmond. "But … do you trust him?"

"I do now," replied Hurley. "He convinced me to blow up the dynamite so that we didn't destroy the Ajira plane and the best chance for some of our friends to get away from here and back to their real lives. This is the old Michael, who was a good person before …"

Hurley couldn't help but look at Ben, but Michael interrupted.

"This isn't the time for assigning blame. Cindy, Emma, and Zach need your help, and they need it quickly."

Desmond look puzzled. "I don't recognize those names. Do you, Hurley?"

"I sure never met them. Though they sound vaguely familiar from the flight manifest. Cindy … Emma … Zach …Ben, do you know …"

Ben blanched before Hurley could finish. Michael appreciated that now Ben was displaying a conscience.

Ben caught his breath. "Cindy Chandler was the flight attendant who survived from the tail section. We abducted her while her group was making their way to your camp. Emma and Zach were the two children who survived from that group. We kidnapped them a few days after the crash, but … what happened to them and where are they?"

While Ben couldn't see or hear Michael, Michael had no problem understanding Ben. "They're near the ferry where Walt and I left on the boat years ago. They were in Locke's group, or whatever that being was, when it was hit by the mortar attack launched by Charles Widmore. They were seriously wounded, and are still lying there, forgotten."

Hugo had to relay the message to Ben. "He says they're near the ferry where, you know, and were wounded in the mortar attack."

Ben winced. "That attack was three days ago. They survived … but to languish like that for so long unnoticed … horrible … gentlemen, we must get going. The ferry is a day and a half long hike from here. I know the shortest route, but I'm afraid I might slow you down. After that tree landed on my legs I won't be at top speed."

"They don't have a whole day!" blurted Michael. "I've seen enough death to know, they're severely dehydrated, and I doubt they could last the night."

"Michael says we don't have that much time," explained Hurley. "And I'm a bit winded myself. Desmond, how are you feeling?"

Desmond struggled to his feet, and waved his arms to keep his balance. "Not so good, brother. That experience drained my energy. I should be fine after a good night's rest, but … can you get a walking stick?"

"Sure." Hurley broke off a reasonably thick tree branch. "Will this do?"

Desmond took the branch. "Good enough. But we don't seem to have any supplies."

Ben: "There is enough fruit and water along the way to keep us going and to provide for the injured, if we get there in time. Hugo, do your new abilities allow you to get there faster?"

"I didn't suddenly get superpowers. I'm still human, and can't transport all over the place by imagining it. The only thing I can tell for sure is … that Michael is telling the truth."

Michael had hoped that Hurley would have new special abilities, but that may have been hoping for too much. The ghost walked alongside the trio of living beings, though he was agitated at their pace.

To keep his mind occupied, Hurley asked Michael several questions.

"How come Desmond and I can see you, but not Ben?"

"I don't understand how it all works, but Jacob made it so that you could see me. There is something special about Desmond, but Ben … just isn't special by these standards. That's why he could never see Jacob."

"So that's why Jack, and Kate, and Sawyer couldn't see you? Jacob chose me for some reason?"

"It's impossible to fully understand Jacob. All I can say is everything he did was because he thought it was in the best interest of the island, and protecting that source. I think he could have done things a lot differently, but what's done is done. I'm sure that you will do a terrific job, much better than he did."

"Thanks dude, but …" Hurley was panting. "I don't know that I'm going to help save Cindy and those kids. Isn't there something else you can do … what about Rose and Bernard?"

"Rose and Bernard are way at the north end of the island. They're closer to the ferry, but I don't think they're close enough, and I won't be able to speak to them. They're not special in the sense you and Desmond are."

"Given the circumstances, I think you'd better try."

"Of course. Good luck."

The ghost of Michael vanished, and soon reappeared near the Nadlers' home on the north end of the island. They were sitting on a log bench on their front porch. As Michael approached, the wind picked up, and the elderly couple heard whispers they couldn't understand.

Michael called out, "Rose, Bernard, we need your help."

But Rose and Bernard didn't hear. They huddled together, not a little bit frightened.

"Go away!" implored Rose. "We told you we want nothing to do with whatever you're doing. We leave you alone, so leave us alone."

"But the children need your help. Bernard, remember the brother and sister that survived the crash with you? And the flight attendant, they're alive, but need you."

Had Bernard understood, his response would have been different, but instead he echoed his wife. "You heard my wife, leave us in peace!"

The wind continued, and Rose and Bernard went inside and shut the door, in case it was a genuine windstorm.

Michael desperately wanted to leave some kind of message, even scratching words in the dirt, but he was not part of the corporeal world. He could not make any physical object move, and was limited to projecting thoughts and images to a very few special people among the living. He floated back to the wounded to try to raise their spirits.

"Hello, Emma, Zach? It's Michael. Help is coming, but you may have to hang on for another day. Can you do that?"

There was nothing but incoherent groaning from the children. They were fading fast, and Cindy didn't look any better. Michael tried again, but there was no further response. Alarmed, he wafted back to Hurley, Ben, and Desmond. By now Ben also had a walking stick, and was grimacing in pain with every step. Desmond was utterly winded and Hurley looked like he was about to suffer a heart attack.

Grateful for an excuse to stop, upon recognizing Michael Hurley asked, "How goes it?"

"Not good. I only scared Rose and Bernard, and they're too far away any way. Cindy and the kids need you. I checked in on them again and they're not responsive."

"I … don't think it's happening. There's only a couple hours of daylight left, and … we're not close, are we."

"I'd say twelve hours at this pace, but we'd be sure to slow down at night," commented Ben, understanding the conversation from what he could hear Hurley say. "We didn't have the time or materials to make torches."

"I'm afraid I can't keep this pace up much longer, either," lamented Desmond.

Michael took stock of the situation. There was no chance these three could get to the badly wounded three in time. If they tried, there could easily be three more deaths, deaths that didn't need to happen. Michael would not have been terribly broken up over Ben's demise, but Hurley and Desmond were good people who deserved to live and lead full, healthy lives. It was if Michael prepared a concession speech.

"It's not worth killing yourselves for nothing. Desmond, you have a wife and child in the real world who need you. Hurley, the island will need you in the future; you can't have a heart attack without a successor of your own, or this will all be in vain. This isn't your fault … get your rest and be the good people you are meant to be. Maybe there will be a miracle and they can make it another day."

Hurley didn't want to give up, but they weren't going to be of any use if they died before they got there. "We can go a little further …" but then Hurley became lightheaded, and crashed to the ground.

"Hugo!" exclaimed Ben, who tried to help but twisted his injured leg in the process, tripped, and fell into Desmond, sending them both to the jungle floor.

"Maybe we should rest a little and be at full strength later. It's probably the fastest way we can get there at this point." Desmond wasn't happy, but there was little choice. He shifted to move into a more comfortable position, but in doing so, his head began to spin, and in seconds he was out cold.

Michael left, unable to be near anyone. Moving to the middle of the jungle, he sat down against a tree and was alone with his thoughts. _A failure in life, and a failure in death. Those poor three … two of them innocent children who have already gone through hell, and to die like that … I should have done something, should have realized something sooner …_

Michael resigned himself to an eternity of a ghostly existence, part of a chorus of whisperers. It was what he deserved. In the best case he might be able alert Hurley or his successors of trouble sooner, but nothing would make up for this and his past failures. He found himself sobbing, not for himself but for the ones he couldn't save from a slow, cruel death. He let darkness cloud over his mind as he accepted defeat. The light in his consciousness faded to a pinpoint.

Then his eyes opened and his face took on a disconcerted look.

_There still could be one last chance._


	2. The Last Chance

Author's Note: Thanks for all the support. I do wish to say this will not be a long story, though I am thinking of writing a flash-sideways to go along with this.

* * *

Michael's ghost flew across the island to the bamboo forest near the original crash site. Jack's body was lying there alone. Michael shook his head at the thought that it would be some time before the body could be taken care of properly. But that was a lower priority than taking care of the living. Michael then drifted rapidly toward Rose and Bernard's home on the far north side, desperately hoping that his last chance was following a similar path.

For once luck was on the side of all concerned. Michael spotted his target, flew to a point ahead, and materialized to the sound of wind and whispers.

Vincent's fur pricked up at the strange sound, and then the sight of a man he hadn't seen in three years, but recognized instantly. Vincent ran toward Michael – and passed through the ghostly image. Alarmed and confused, Vincent ducked behind a tree, and peered out at the apparition. The Labrador sniffed the air, and found that the newcomer did not have a scent. The dog growled.

"Vincent, can you understand me?" asked Michael.

Vincent barked.

"Vincent, people need your help. It's this way."

Michael pointed to the west.

After Vincent detected that Jack had passed on, he trotted back toward the Nadler's home. It was a long way away, most of the length of the island. Fortunately, the ferry near where Cindy, Zach, and Emma lay dying was close to Vincent's route. While not on a direct line, the battle site was as close as could be hoped for to the point where Michael caught up with Vincent.

Vincent remained puzzled for several seconds, and then concluded Michael was not a threatening figure. There must be a very important reason for Michael showing up at that point. Vincent came up with a reason: Michael could be indicating that Walt had returned and was showing Vincent the way to his old master. The thought launched Vincent into a run in the correct direction.

Michael was encouraged that Vincent had obliged. If he had to, Michael would have tried scaring Vincent into the correct direction, but now that would not be necessary.

Vincent followed Michael to the ferry. While disappointed not to find Walt there, Vincent did immediately recognize that the three people he did see were in trouble. His first reaction was to lick Zach's face. The boy responded feebly, and Michael intervened.

"That won't help, Vincent, they need water."

Michael drifted around looking for something of use, while Vincent trotted over to nuzzle Emma's face. The girl shook her head, and with an effort petted Vincent once. There were various supplies scattered about when the group following the creature who had taken Locke's form. In a minute Michael found a canteen. It was empty, but under the circumstances worth more than a pile of gold ingots.

"Vincent, over here!"

Having led him to the wounded victims, Vincent was now fully trusting of Michael and ran to his current location. The Labrador had seen canteens often enough and knew what they were used for. He picked it up and darted to the shore.

"No Vincent, it has to be fresh water."

Michael was suddenly in front of Vincent, and pointing back. It took Vincent several seconds to figure out what he was doing wrong. Then he remembered how the ocean water didn't taste as good as other water that had been supplied. He turned around and looked back at Michael.

An advantage of having been in spirit form over the island for so long is that Michael knew where everything was located. He was able to lead Vincent to the nearest fresh water source, a stream about five minutes away in the direction of the old village. Vincent understood to dunk the canteen in the stream, but water spilled out.

"You have to hold the canteen sideways, so the water won't spill."

Michael demonstrated by holding his sideways, and again Vincent got the idea. After slurping up some water for himself, Vincent again dunked the canteen, and this time tilted his head so the opening was facing up. Regrettably he couldn't twist the cap on, nor could Michael assist in any physical way. Thus Vincent had to retrace his steps in an awkward position, moving more slowly than before. Thanks to his efforts only a little water spilled on the way back.

Vincent went to the youngest first. Zach was now lying still, so Vincent maneuvered the canteen's opening to the boy's mouth. Zach choked at first, and then managed a few swallows. Vincent then brought the canteen over to Emma, with similar results at first. After a few mouthfuls of water, Emma recovered enough to hold the canteen in her hands and drink more normally. She blinked as she realized the nature of her benefactor.

"Nice doggie, where did you come from?"

Vincent barked, and Cindy stirred, her legged still pinned under a tree. Emma couldn't move with her broken leg, so Vincent next carried the canteen to Cindy. Cindy thought she might be dreaming, but was able to grasp the canteen and drink from it after wiping the opening with the back of her hand. She had never seen Vincent, having been abducted by the Others before reaching the fuselage section beach camp. She left some water for the children, and Vincent returned to Zach, who finished it. Vincent then looked to Michael for more instructions.

"That isn't enough, Vincent, we have to do this again."

Michael strode off toward the stream again, and Vincent followed. The procedure was repeated three more times, and on the last trip, Michael scoured the area for solid food within Vincent's reach. Most of the food brought on the last trip that was still present was spoiled, but Michael did find a bunch of six bananas, albeit on the overripe side. He directed Vincent toward it, and the dog brought it back to Cindy, who had the strength to peel them. Zach managed to crawl over to Emma before slumping on the ground next to her. When each had a banana, they felt well enough to speak. As before, Michael was visible to just the children,

"Is this your dog?" asked Zach.

"He was my son's dog."

"Was? You mean your son is … I'm so sorry," Emma responded.

"No, Walt isn't dead. He got off the island, but Vincent didn't make it with us. Did you ever see Walt? About six to nine weeks after the crash?"

"I don't remember a 'Walt.' There could have been someone who was locked away all the time, but we weren't allowed to go near part of the village."

"That's too bad; I bet you would have been friends. But what's important now is that we get you home."

Now Zach had a question. "What happened to you? Why are you here?"

Michael sighed. "I had to come back here because I did some bad things here, and I had to try to help those who were left behind. I was killed in the process, and now I'm here to help you and whoever else needs it."

Zach: "You don't seem like a bad person."

Michael: "Maybe not now, but when my son was kidnapped like you were, I … it's not important now. The important thing is that you get well enough to go home."

The sun was setting, and Emma and Zach were yawning.

"What's going to happen now?" asked Emma.

"Vincent is going to bring help in the form of live people. You're going to have to get some rest now."

"Will you stay here during the night?" Zach looked at Michael.

Michael hadn't planned on doing so, but there wasn't anything more he could do now.

"Sure. I'll make sure nothing happens to you overnight." Michael figured he could scare away some wild animals, but if none had come here the past three days, it wasn't likely some would come now. "That canteen is full now, and if you get hungry you can eat the bananas that are left."

Cindy simply let the children talk with their ghost friend. She couldn't be sure Michael was real, but it was keeping their spirits up, and that was very important now.

Michael had to give Vincent instructions. "Go to Rose and Bernard, and bring them here no matter what. And bring some food with you. Understand?"

Michael pointed north, and Vincent wagged his tail and barked. Vincent ran off, going as far as he could while the fading light permitted. Rose and Bernard wouldn't be able to travel at dark well anyway, and Vincent settled in to sleep a third of the way there.

When dawn broke, Vincent was up and running. In two hours he reached the Nadlers' residence, and barked up a storm.

"Vincent, what's gotten into you?" Rose had never seen Vincent so animated.

Vincent spun around in circles and darted back and forth out the door.

"He isn't going to give us any peace until we see what he wants to show us."

As Rose and Bernard ready to leave, Vincent bolted into the kitchen, looked at the available food, and then reached up by placing his front paws on a wall and snatched a jar of peanut butter in his mouth. He then ran back outside.

"Will we ever get peace here?" quipped Bernard.

"I'm not sure. But it looks like someone may be hurt. Maybe someone else washed ashore. We have to check it out."

* * *

Hurley woke as the sun's rays filtered through the canopy of leaves. It took him a minute to remember where he was. When his eyes focused, the image of Michael was in front of him.

"You! What happened? The kids and Cindy …" spluttered Hurley.

"Calm down. They're okay for now. I was able to get them help."

"How? You said Rose and Bernard were too far away."

"They were, and I couldn't communicate with them, but there was somebody else."

"You mean there are more people still alive on this island?"

"No, not more people."

"Then how …" and then Hurley figured it out. "Vincent?"

"That's right. Vincent was on his way from Jack's body to Rose and Bernard's house, and fortunately that path came pretty close to where Cindy, Emma, and Zach are. I was able to coax Vincent into bringing water and bananas to them."

"Ooh, Jack's body. We have to take care of that."

"Yes, but the priority must be the living. They still need your help, and of course Jack would have wanted it that way."

By then Desmond was stirring. "The dog … that I heard barking when I was in the well?"

"Yes, that was Vincent," explained Hurley. "A lot of us felt there was something special about that dog. But how are you feeling?"

Desmond got up and stretched his legs. "Much better. We better get going."

Ben was still lying on the ground. Desmond nudged him. "Wake up, brother."

Ben was groggy. "Desmond … Hugo … what happened?" Ben struggled to his feet with the aid of his walking stick.

"It's all right, Michael managed to get Vincent to bring enough food and water to Cindy and the kids to last another day, but we got to get moving."

"Vincent? … You mean Walt's dog?"

"You know of some other dude named Vincent on this island?"

Ben shook his head. "Sorry Hugo, I'm just waking up. Let's move."

Ben's legs were still a little stiff, but he decided the pain was minor compared to what he had caused, and shook it off. "This way."

The group resumed their hike toward the Pala Ferry. Michael was quiet, figuring it was better not to say things that would have to be repeated for Ben. Now that he wasn't struggling every step like the day before, Desmond did have some questions.

"Can you tell me more about these people we're rescuing?"

In quite a contrast from most of his life, Ben was going to tell the whole truth.

"Emma and Zach are a sister and brother who were among the tail-end survivors Oceanic Flight 815, aged eleven and nine at the time. Since our women could not conceive and give birth on the island, we took all children we could in order to keep our society going. We took Walt for the same reason in part.

The other reason we took all the children was to identify possible future leaders of the island. This came from Jacob, who expressed his desires through Richard. We tested Emma and Zach extensively. While we found that they had some weak abilities, they were not suitable for island leadership. I am not too surprised that they can see Michael's ghost, and they can probably also see other spirits who wish to make themselves visible to them. By contrast, Walt showed exceptionally strong abilities under testing. So strong that it was dangerous to be near him when he was highly agitated. He also showed extreme resistance to mind control, and an unexpectedly high concentration of anger pent up inside him. This made him also unsuitable to be a future leader for the island, and we felt we were better off with him gone."

Hurley interrupted. "These abilities – did that have something to do with the way he beat me in backgammon so often?"

"Possibly. Rolling dice is not as random as people think. If one holds and rolls the dice the same way each time, the same numbers will appear. Of course there is an extremely small margin for error involved, one far too small for most people, even trained magicians, to accomplish. But Walt may have been the one in a billion who could accomplish this much more often than chance would indicate.

Back to Emma and Zach, when we found they were not leadership material we decided to brainwash them into become regular members of our society. A problem arose since they resisted accepting us, so we kidnapped Cindy Chandler, whom we decided was the most controllable person remaining from their original group. Then we were able to brainwash them, and the children accepted Cindy as their caregiver. We set them up in a house, and they lived quietly there for a few months.

When the trouble began with the people from the freighter, I sent them and many other residents to the Temple. They made it, but not everybody did. They lived there for about three years, and I then believe they endured all the time flashes Hugo experienced, but came out of that in the present day still at the Temple. Then the Man in Black, in Locke's form, paid the Temple a visit, and gave them an ultimatum. They had to either follow him, or be killed. Fortunately they chose to go with him, as everyone who stayed behind was indeed killed. More perished on the trek from the jungle, and apparently some more in that uncalled for mortar attack launched by Charles Widmore.

You know the fates of the rest of those who interacted with that being in Locke's form. Sun, Jin, and Sayid perished in the submarine, while Kate, Sawyer, Claire, Miles, and Richard got on that plane piloted by Frank. Before yesterday I thought that was a complete accounting of all the remaining survivors, but now we know Cindy, Emma, and Zach were forgotten."

Desmond was moved by the story. "To have lived through all that, and then … we can't let them die like that. See if we can move a little faster."

* * *

Rose and Bernard walked as fast as they could, following an obviously impatient Vincent. When they got close, Vincent ran ahead. He barked when he reached the wounded, dropping the jar of peanut butter from his mouth in the process. He picked it up and brought it over to Zach.

While the injured were waking up, Rose caught sight of them.

"There are people here, and they look hurt. Where could they have come from?" Rose asked.

"I haven't the faintest …" and Bernard's jaw dropped.

"What is it? Do you recognize them?"

"That's … the woman is Cindy, the flight attendant who was with my group. She disappeared while we were hiking to your group. And the children … they've grown some, but they have to be the ones that were taken a few days after the crash!"


	3. Moving On

Rose had a hard time believing the situation. "There are children here? After all this time?"

"I know, it's hard to believe," answered Bernard. "But … oh no, that girl's leg looks broken. And Cindy is trapped under a tree."

Bernard rushed over to Cindy. "Cindy, it's Bernard. Can you talk? What happened.?"

Cindy took a deep breath. "Bernard? From the plane? I'm not sure what happened … we were bombed … three or four days ago. Help Emma, I think her leg is broken."

"We should make a splint. Let's see if we can get this tree off you. Rose, help me."

Bernard and Rose tried to lift one end of the tree pinning Cindy, but it was too heavy.

"We need to make a lever," explained Bernard. "What around here will work?"

Just then Vincent starting barking, and ran off toward the southeast. Soon he reappeared with Hurley, Desmond, and Ben. Rose and Bernard were surprised to see them, but this was not a time for idle chatter.

"Help get the tree off Cindy," said Rose.

The men all took a position at the fallen tree, and with their combined effort lifted it enough to enable Rose to help Cindy slide her leg out.

Cindy sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, I thought I'd never get out. But help Emma, her leg is broken."

"That's what we thought," replied Bernard. "I guess you never met. Cindy, this is my wife Rose. And Rose, this is Cindy, and over here are Emma and Zach.

"Hi Ms. Rose," answered the children in unison.

"Hello to you," responded Rose.

"What are we going to do about Emma's leg? We have to try to make a splint, and then … we really should get her to a real hospital. What is the status of the medical facilities here?"

"I regret to say that pretty much everything has been destroyed in all the fighting and earth shaking the past several days," answered Ben.

"There's quite a good medical supply on my boat," commented Desmond. "If we can get to it. Does anyone know where it is?"

The wind picked up, and whispers were heard. Bernard and Rose huddled, but Hurley tried to calm them.

"Keep calm, dudes, I think I know who it is, and it's nothing to worry about."

Michael materialized, still visible to just Hurley, Desmond, Zach, and Emma. He spoke to Desmond.

"Your boat is moored on Hydra Island. You need to get to that, and bring it back here."

"Then you can sail off the island with the children, and find your wife and son and lead the life you were meant to," added Hurley.

"That's a long swim," noted Desmond. Under better circumstances I should be able to make it, but with all that I've experienced, I don't know."

"Wasn't there at least one outrigger canoe here?" asked Hurley"

"There was, but with the storms and all the tide took it away. But there are some life vests about a hundred yards down the beach, that way."

"That will be a big help," noted Desmond. "Where did they come from?"

"Frank Lapidus found them on the submarine. He used them to float to the surface, and then he slowly made his way here. I trust you can swim a lot faster than he did. Actually he may have been in shock; he was floating between the islands for two days."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Rose.

Zach looked up. He had been scooping peanut butter out of the jar Vincent had dropped in his lap. "It's Michael, can't you see him?"

"Michael? Hurley, what is going on? And how did you know to come here? Did Vincent bring you, too?"

Hurley took a deep breath. "No, it was actually Michael's spirit. Sometimes I can see ghosts now, and some other special people. He let us know yesterday that Cindy, Emma, and Zach were alive but wounded, and when we were too far away, coaxed Vincent into bringing them water and bananas, and then notifying you."

Rose and Bernard exchanged glances. Ordinarily the story would be considered preposterous, but this island wasn't ordinary and Hurley was perhaps the most honest person they had met.

Bernard observed, "We heard whispers yesterday evening. Was that …"

"Yes it was. Since Michael … um … passed on his spirit has become one of many trapped on this island. Now he spends his days trying to good for all those who are left. It's just that in his form he can't be seen by everybody."

"But you can see him, Hurley," observed Rose. "I know we said we didn't want to get involved with whatever was going on away from our little home on the end of the island, but I think we may need to know what you have to tell us."

Zach was well enough to get up and walk slowly to Emma, to whom he handed the jar of peanut butter. Emma scooped up several mouthfuls, and when she felt she had enough, told Zach to bring it to Cindy. Cindy was able to crawl, and after massaging her leg to restore circulation was pleased to find it wasn't badly damaged. She scooped out some peanut butter for herself, and agreed with the children that it was the best thing they had tasted in a very long time.

"There's no time to waste; I'd better get going," announced Desmond. He let Michael guide him to the lifejackets, and returned with them to the group. He took off his shoes and socks, tied the vests together using their straps, and put one on, in an effort to get maximum buoyancy.

"Wish me luck," and after a chorus of wishes Desmond was off into the ocean. He swam like a man possessed, ignoring recent feelings of exhaustion, and determined to reach his sailboat not only for the wounded on the island, but for Penny and little Charlie as well.

When Desmond was well on his way, Hurley turned to answer Rose.

"This is hard to explain and hard to believe. That man you saw a couple days ago in John Locke's form was a being who had been trapped on this island for a long time – about two thousand years. It was he who was the black smoke monster thing. His twin brother Jacob has also been here all this time. Jacob had been trying to contain his brother, who has been called the Man in Black since we never found out his name, but was wearing down and needed a replacement. That had something to do with our plane crash."

"You mean he killed hundreds of people and ruined countless lives to find this replacement?"

"That's what it amounts to. As he saw it if he didn't get a replacement, the monster would break free from the island and destroy everything. There is some energy source in the middle that if it goes out will plunge the world into permanent darkness, and this being wanted to destroy it. Jack volunteered to be the next caretaker of the island."

I don't understand this fully, but we needed to pull out a stopper in the pond in a cave where this energy source is, and only Desmond was capable of doing it without getting killed. While the stopper was out, both Jack and the Man in Black were vulnerable. There was a fight, and it ended with Kate shooting the bad guy.

Desmond was exhausted and lying by the pond, so Jack went back in to put the stopper back in. But before he did he made me the next island guardian. It was like he knew he couldn't survive what he had to do. Ben and I pulled Desmond out, and then Jack after he succeeded, but there was too much radiation for him. He staggered out and lay down to die where he first landed after the crash."

Rose and Bernard looked at Hurley in disbelief, but after a moment realized Hurley was telling the truth the best he knew it.

"We have to bury Jack's body," sadly noted Rose.

"Of course we will."

"How do you know where Jack's body is? Did you see it?" asked Bernard.

"No, Michael told me. Vincent was with Jack when he died, and was on his way to your house when Michael found him near Cindy and the kids."

"That … means that Jack didn't die alone," observed Rose. "At least we can be happy for that."

Desmond reached Hydra Island in remarkably good time all things considered. He saw his sailboat, "The Elizabeth," from a distance, and swam directly to it. He climbed aboard, and was pleased to find it was in good condition. He untied it from the dock, hoisted the sails, and set off for the main island. It was a short trip by boat, and soon he was docking at the Pala Ferry. He brought out the ship's medical supplies, and with the cooperation of Bernard and Ben fashioned a splint for Emma's leg.

"Is the ship ready to go?" asked Hurley.

"Actually, I'd like to take her for a bit of a longer spin to make sure everything's working properly."

"Why don't we take it back to our original beach, and give Jack a proper memorial service?" asked Rose.

"That's a wonderful idea," agreed Hurley.

Bernard whispered, "Hurley, do you know exactly where Jack's body is?"

"Not exactly, I have a general idea … near where our part of the plane crashed …"

"I can show you." Michael had been staying in the background, but realized he was needed and whispered to Hurley.

"Oh, thanks dude, come on board then, we need you."

They all boarded the boat, with Desmond and Hurley carrying Emma. They set sail, a stiff wind speeding the process. Emma and Zach got to pet Vincent, who was very friendly to them. They got to the original beach.

"I think we better not move Emma more than we have to do. I can stay with the children while you … have your service," offered Cindy.

The others got off. Michael disappeared and sped ahead, and then returned knowing the precise location. Hurley and Desmond got Jack's body while Bernard and Ben dug a grave near so many others – Boone, Shannon, Ana-Lucia, Libby, … too many. Far too many.

All those present had moving words for Jack. The ceremony wasn't too long, as there was the need for the sailboat to get going. Then they all got back on the sailboat, which went back to the dock. Rose and Bernard got off to go back to their house, and Ben left stepped off, planning to make the village more habitable again. Hurley was about to join them, when Ben simply said,

"You have to go with them, Hugo."

"Me? Why?"

"You have business to take care of on the mainland, and we need someone to bring the boat back. If there is another crash in the future while we're still here, we need a means of transportation for them to get off. We're not going to have a repeat of our experience."

Hurley realized Ben was right. Hurley should personally tell his parents what he was doing. And he had to tell Walt the truth about Michael. Though there might be another way to handle that. Hurley turned to look at Michael and realized what had to be done.

Michael was saying good-bye to Emma and Zach. "I have to say good-bye now. I wish you the best of luck on your journey."

"Why can't you come with us?" asked Zach. "If you're a ghost, can't you fly around anywhere?"

"I have to stay on the island because of what I did here."

"No you don't," interjected Hurley. "The island is done with you. You're also needed on board to protect us."

"I can't … I can't be with them any more."

"Why not?" asked Emma. "What could you have done that was so bad?"

Michael took one look at Hurley who nodded, indicating that the new policy was to tell the truth.

"Because I killed Ana-Lucia and another woman, Libby, Hurley's girlfriend, who you never met! I deserve to stay here forever."

The siblings looked at Michael in disbelief.

"You saved our lives, how could you kill Ana?" Zach asked.

"I'll answer that," stated Hurley. "Those people you were with, led by Ben over there, kidnapped Michael's son. They ran all sorts of experiments on him, thinking he had some kind of abilities. They essentially were torturing him, if not physically then mentally. We caught Ben, and they arranged a deal where Michael would get Walt back if he could bring Ben to them; otherwise he would never see Walt again. Ana was guarding the room Ben was being kept in, and Michael couldn't think of a way to comply with those Others' demands other than shooting her. Then Libby walked in on the scene, startling Michael and he shot her as a reflex. He wasn't in his right mind, and normally would never act like that, but believing that this was the only way to stop his son's torture caused him to do a terrible thing.

They did keep their bargain, and Michael and Walt left on a boat, but Michael was so wracked with guilt that he returned as a sort of spy on a freighter that was watching the island. That freighter was owned by Charles Widmore, the man who ordered that mortar attack that wounded you. To make a long story short, Michael ended up sacrificing himself by delaying an explosion long enough for several of us to get to safety on a helicopter. Since then, he's been in that form, hanging around this island."

Michael nodded silently to confirm the story.

"It's time to move on, Michael," continued Hurley. "Desmond knows something about this, can you add something?"

"There is a place for all of us after we die," Desmond said after some thought. "I can't say too much about it, because you may have trials to undergo. I can say Hurley and Libby will be happy there. Ana has some issues to work through there, but she has left this place, and it's time for Michael to do the same."

Emma caught on. "Does that mean Ana did something really bad too? She saved our lives when we crashed, but seemed to be getting crazy before we were kidnapped."

Emma's look forced Hurley to tell the truth. "I'm afraid she did. After the first round of kidnappings of your group she became very paranoid. She thought a man named Nathan was one of the Others and threw him in a pit. She threatened to break his fingers if he didn't confess. He was innocent, but the real culprit, Goodwin, broke his neck before he could convince Ana he was telling the truth.

"Ana later found out who Goodwin was and killed him in a struggle, and that was entirely justified. But several days later she shot and killed one of our friends, a young woman named Shannon who was looking for Walt at the time, when she came into sight. Ana was afraid the Others were following the group, and wasn't in her right mind either. She was shooting whoever appeared. It could have been Walt. It could have been one of you. It wasn't as bad as what Michael did, but as a cop should have followed the rule of being sure of your target before you fire. Another example of how this island has made people do things they never would in the real world."

Hurley realized the conversation was getting too depressing.

"But that's going to change now that I'm in charge."

He turned to Michael. "I'm going to put it this way. Since I am in charge now, Michael, I am banishing you from the island. Protect us from sharks or whatever on the trip. And … I have something else to tell you. Walt came to visit me in the Santa Rose Institute a couple months ago. He was upset that none of us who made it off the island visited him, except for Locke. He asked me about you, and … I lied. I told him that you were still alive on the island. I'm sorry I gave him false hope, and maybe it would be best if you told him personally. I know you can do that now."

Michael was overwhelmed. He was convinced that he would stay on the island until the end of time, and now he would get the chance to give a proper good-bye to Walt and move on, whatever that involved.

"You don't have to apologize. It is I who will be eternally in your debt."

"Let's get going then. And watch out for sharks."

There was one more matter to attend to. Vincent had a puzzled look on his face, alternating looking at Michael, Emma and Zach, and Rose and Bernard. The Labrador was remaining on the boat, acting unsure as if to follow the married couple off.

"Does he want to stay with us?" asked Zach.

"That's not it," responded Emma. "He must want to see Walt."

Michael's face teared up. "The last time Walt and Vincent saw each other, Vincent was swimming to raft that we didn't have room for him on. It was the most heartbreaking thing I'd ever seen, when Walt had to wave him away. It will mean the world to him if they're reunited."

A tear came to Hurley's eye. He stepped off the boat onto the dock, and Vincent followed him. Hurley addressed Rose and Bernard. "Did you hear that? We think Vincent wants to return to Walt."

Rose smiled. "We understand. But why don't you bring us back a dog from an animal shelter?"

Bernard added, "That's a wonderful thought. It will be all right, Vincent disappears for days at a time like he always used to."

"How about I make it two?" Hurley's face brightened.

Vincent came over to let Rose and Bernard hug him good-bye. Then Vincent and Hurley boarded the boat again, and set sail with Desmond, Cindy, Emma, and Zach.


	4. Reunions

Desmond released the last line and the sailboat took off on the open sea.

"Hold it, wasn't there a specific heading?" he asked.

"325 degrees," replied Michael's ghost, who wanted to fade into the background and think to himself. He would soon have the ability to tell his story to Walt, and he had to decide how to do it. Probably in dream form would be best.

The trip was uneventful until about eight kilometers out to sea, when it felt like the boat struck something, and then forced its way through.

* * *

At that moment, Mathias and Henrik, the two men Penny had hired to keep on the lookout for any electromagnetic anomaly near the island, heard a beep go off on a sensor in their tracking station. They promptly sent a coded electronic message designed to be received by a chip in Penny's bracelet.

* * *

"What was that?" asked Cindy.

"It could have been the edge of the bubble, answered Hurley. When the island was moved, it took everything within a certain radius with it. The bubble was big enough to include the Hydra Island, and the Zodiac speedboat Daniel Faraday was piloting. But not big enough to include the helicopter. If we are outside that bubble, that means the radio might work now. Give it a try, Desmond."

"It didn't work when I tried to leave before, but now I think that's because I was never on the right heading to break through the bubble."

Desmond flicked a switch and turned a knob, and the radio crackled to life. He set it to an emergency frequency.

"Can anyone out there hear me?"

There was a few seconds of agonizing silence, and then a voice came over the static.

"This is the U. S. Coast Guard, based in Hawaii. Who is this speaking?"

"This is Desmond Hume. I'm on a boat with survivors of a plane crash – Ajira Flight 315. We need medical assistance; there's a girl with a broken leg."

"What is your position?"

Desmond is pleased to find the onboard GPS functioning.

"Four degrees south latitude, 168 degrees east longitude."

"Roger that, we'll be there in two hours in a helicopter."

Desmond turned the sailboat toward Hawaii, so it was slightly less than two hours when they met. The crew from "The Elizabeth" was swiftly put on board on the helicopter, and physicians set and put a cast on Emma's leg. Two of the crew boarded the sailboat to take it back to Hawaii.

One of the crew recognized Hurley. "You're that lottery winner, who disappeared twice, aren't you?"

"Yes that's right. Do you have a phone I can use?"

"Absolutely, sir. You can use this."

Hurley wanted to call his mother, but he got a recording. Next he called his lawyer, and after Hurley proved who he was by providing information only he would know, Hurley explained the situation fully. His lawyer got someone else on the line, while Hurley explained to the Coast Guard captain.

"This woman in Cindy Chandler, and these two children are Emma and Zach. They are actually survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 from three years ago. They were on their way to meet their mother, who thinks they're dead. For their sake we have to keep our arrival quiet until the proper time. We will refer to the mother as 'Ms. Smith'."

The man Hurley's attorney had on the phone, someone with a good deal of authority, informed the captain that Hurley's plan should be followed. In this case it paid to have the clout Hurley's wealth provided.

"Is this their dog?" The captain pointed at Vincent.

"No, he belongs to someone else on the mainland, and that needs to be kept quiet for now also."

"All right then."

The Coast Guard plane flew on to Hawaii. Hurley spoke to Desmond.

"We have to get you back with Penny and your son. Do you know where they are?"

"I'm afraid I don't. I last saw them at the Long Beach hospital. Then … her father took me to the island, and she and little Charlie to some 'safe place'."

"Then we'll all go to Los Angeles and start looking there."

Hurley made some more calls, while Desmond sat down in a window seat. He whispered,

"Michael, are you there?"

Michael wasn't expecting conversation, but materialized in the empty seat next to Desmond.

"What is it?"

"Can you contact my father-in-law and find out where Penny is?"

"I don't know, but I'll try."

Michael closed his eyes and concentrated, but didn't come up with anything useful. "Charles Widmore's spirit is still on the island. He was responsible for a lot of deaths there, and I think will be there for some time. If I go back I should be able to contact him. Sorry I didn't think of asking him back there."

Desmond sighed. "Of course that's not something you would be thinking of that time."

"I can go back with Hurley and try to ask him then."

"Hurley banished you, remember? You have to straighten things out with your son. If we haven't found Penny and Charlie, then we can talk about contacting Widmore's ghost."

The Coast Guard plane landed, and the passengers were taken to a private hospital and given medical examinations. They were given clearance to fly in a private jet Hurley had arranged.

Hurley realized he didn't know Cindy's plans.

"Um, Cindy, what are you going to do now?"

"I've been taking care of Emma and Zach for so long that I want to be there when they do meet their mother. After that … I don't know. I used to have a life in Australia. No close family … I'm not sure."

"Then you're going with us to meet 'Ms. Smith'. And there will always be a job for you at one my business holdings."

"Thank you. Once I'm on my feet I'm sure I'll be all right."

They all boarded the private plane, which had a familiar pilot: Frank Lapidus.

"Hiya Frank!" greeted Hurley. "Glad you could make it on such short notice."

"Anything for you. If I had known there were more survivors, I would have waited for them before flying off that little island."

"It's okay now. None of us knew."

"Then how did you find out?"

"It was actually the ghost of Michael. You must have met him on the freighter."

"I don't remember a Michael on the freighter."

"But he was … oh, you knew him as Kevin Johnson."

"Kevin? I barely met him. Very quiet, kept to himself all the time. So what happened?"

"I'll tell you all about it on the trip."

Hurley introduced Frank to Cindy, Emma, and Zach, and then explained everything to Frank after the plane departed.

* * *

Another message was sent by Mathias and Henrik from their tracking station.

* * *

A few hours later they landed in a small suburban airport where a limousine was waiting for them, driven by an employee of one of Hurley's companies. A second limo drove Frank to a hotel, where he would rest until needed for the next flight.

"Are you going to call our mother now?" asked Emma.

"We have to be careful about this," explained Hurley. "Your mother thinks you've been dead for more than three years. If we call her, she'll most likely think someone is playing a cruel practical joke. She also may not recognize your voices."

"I didn't think of that," admitted Zach. "Emma's voice is lower than when we crashed."

"And Zach's voice is definitely changing," added Emma.

Hurley continued, "I think it's best that we first visit her in person. This is a case of 'seeing is believing'."

The driver drove them to "Ms. Smith's" address. Emma and Zach trembled as they saw the house. Then they were startled by Vincent barking.

"I think he wants to say good-bye," said Hurley, "but I'll arrange transportation for you to meet again, and Walt. How does Disney World sound?"

"Fine," replied Emma, petting Vincent.

Zach nodded in agreement, and likewise petted Vincent. Then the siblings, Hurley, and Cindy got out and went to the front door. Emma and Zach stood shaking behind Hurley and Cindy.

"Maybe I better break the news," offered Hurley. He rang the doorbell. Although it was but a few seconds, it seemed like an agonizingly long time before the bell was answered.

There was a hint of recognition in 'Ms. Smith's' face when she saw Hurley, but she couldn't place him. Hurley spoke up quickly.

" 'Ms. Smith,' I am Hugo Reyes, one of the so-called Oceanic Six. Three years we told the world there were no more survivors of Flight 815, but we were wrong. Some passengers wound up in a different part of the island. One of them is Cindy Chandler, who has been taking care of these two …"

Hurley and Cindy stepped aside, and 'Ms. Smith' almost fainted as her jaw dropped. Cindy propped her up as her children, yelling "Mommy, Mommy!" rushed into her arms into a big hug. Tears flowed uncontrollably from the three 'Smiths.'

When 'Ms. Smith' regained her composure, she invited everyone in.

"I can only stay for a few minutes; there are others I have to help get reacquainted," explained Hurley.

After the few minutes Hurley handed 'Ms. Smith' a business card. "No doubt you will have legal and financial issues. Everything is on me. I wish had known some things sooner and I could have gotten your children back before now."

"Thank you so much. I can never thank you enough."

"Just take good care of them."

Hurley also gave a card to Cindy.

"Mommy, can Cindy stay here?" asked Zach.

"Of course," answered his mother. "For however long she wants."

"I don't want to impose, but perhaps one night would be good," commented Cindy.

"Good!" exclaimed Emma. "I'll help fix up the rooms."

They said their good-byes, and Hurley went back to the limo, where Desmond had been waiting with Vincent.

"I just had one of those flashes – all I saw was a coffee shop and a street corner – the two streets were Sweetzer and Melrose – I just know I have to get there."

Hurley didn't question Desmond, and instructed the driver to proceed to that intersection. Hurley tried calling his parents' home again, and this time his mother Carmen answered.

"Hi Ma, sorry I didn't get in touch with you sooner; thins got kind of crazy again."

"Hugo! What happened to you this time?"

"There was another plane crash. "I'm okay now, but there are a couple people I have to take care of. I'll explain it all when I get there. I can stay for dinner, but then I've got to go."

"Hugo, you're impossible!"

"Yeah, I know. See you later, I got to go. I love you."

Soon the limo reached the coffee shop.

"Care to join me for a cup of coffee?" asked Desmond.

"Might as well, but it will have to be quick."

They went inside, and to their astonishment Penny and young Charlie were sitting in one of the booths. After a moment of shock, Desmond rushed over and grabbed Penny in a big embrace, and then lifted his two-year-old son out of a high chair and hugged him. Desmond choked back tears.

"Penny! How did you get here? I thought your father had you locked up somewhere."

"He did. Charlie and I were kept prisoner in a house. But yesterday these guys let me go. They argued with themselves about not being paid any more, and then left. I guess that means … my father is dead, isn't he?"

Desmond grew solemn, and motioned to Hurley to play with Charlie. "Yes he is. He took me back to that island while I was unconscious, and a few days later he was shot by Ben in a confrontation. How do you feel?"

"Truthfully, considering the way he treated us, I don't feel like grieving. I don't know if I ever will."

"Then let's not think about then. How did you know to come here?"

"Something inside my head said I should come here. We passed this place once, and you said it looked like a charming place and we should check it out some time. Why did you come here?"

"I had a vision of this shop, this intersection. A brief flash like I've had before."

Hurley put down little Charlie. "You two can catch up without me; I've got some more business to take care of."

"Thank you so much, brother, for getting me home and finding my family. I can never repay you."

"My feelings exactly," agreed Penny.

"Don't worry about it; that island is behind you forever. Enjoy life as a family." Hurley departed, and his limo driver next to him to his parents' house. He let Vincent run loose in the spacious back yard.

Carmen Reyes had prepared one of Hurley's favorite meals, and his father David had come home by then. Hurley's mother hugged him, and then had some words.

"The news said your plane vanished without a trace again, but after the last time, I was not convinced you were lost. Now tell what happened this time. And I want the whole truth, no holding back."

"The truth is harder to believe this time. We found out we had to go back to the island to prevent a worldwide disaster. There was a dude, Jacob, a protector of an energy source, and he needed a replacement. This other evil dude who had also been on that island forever killed him by taking on someone else's form. Jacob made Jack the next protector of the island, but Jack died after helping kill the evil dude. But before Jack died he made me the new protector of the island."

Carmen looked blankly at her son. "You are right, that is harder to believe. What does this 'protector of the island' mean?"

"It means that I have to stay there most of the time, but I can visit from time to time. Jacob left the island many times, and met me once or twice off the island. I promise I'll never miss your birthday again."

David wanted to make the subject a bit less fantastic. "What is that dog doing in our yard?"

"He belongs to a boy, another survivor of Oceanic Flight 815. I'm afraid I lied to you, there were actually seven survivors at the time we told everyone there were six. His story is a lot different. He had been kidnapped and essentially tortured by these Others who thought he had some special ability. His father went mad trying to get him back, killing two women and trading four of us as prisoners for their release. When the boy found out, he didn't want to stay with his father, and moved in with his grandmother. The father became so overcome with guilt that he tried to help those left behind, and was killed in the effort. He has been very helpful as a ghost, and helped us find three more survivors from a different part of the first plane."

"So you're returning the dog to this … orphan?" asked Carmen.

"Yes, and I want to apologize to the boy in person. I lied to him when he went across the country to visit me, saying his dad was alive when I knew he wasn't. He's been having to live under a false name all this time. I owe him."

"I've told you so many times it is a sin to lie. I'm glad to see you're finally making an effort to stop this. That story of yours … I believe you think it's true."

"It really is, Ma. I'll come back here after I deliver the dog – his name is Vincent, by the way – but I have to go back to the island after that."

They finished dinner, and the limo driver took Hurley and Vincent to the airfield where Frank was rested and ready to fly the overnight flight to New York. On the flight, Michael materialized next to Hurley.

"Do you know how you're going to handle this?" inquired Hurley.

"Yes. I don't want anyone to see Walt talking to me, so I'll visit him in a dream. I realize I can do that now."

"Then go for it, dude. I need some shut-eye."

Hurley fell asleep, and Michael concentrated. Knowing Walt's address, Michael found it easy to focus on the right place.

Walt was sleeping like normal, and then began to dream. It started with a bunch of ominous swirling black smoke, and then he saw the image of his father.

"Dad?" Walt mumbled.

"Yes, Walt, it is I."

Walt couldn't tell if he was asleep or awake, but found himself conversing fluently.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have some things to tell you. First, I am dead. I have to give you closure on that matter."

"I kind of figured that. You would have sent me drawings for my birthdays if you were alive, but I couldn't be absolutely sure."

"You're right; I would have. I'm glad that you're taking the news so well."

"What did you do after you left?"

"I went back to try to help those left behind. I needed to try to earn some redemption so you wouldn't despise me so. I had to work for Ben to do it and couldn't let you know about that."

"Ben? After what he did to me? How could you?"

"I didn't want to, but it was the only way. There were bigger threats to those left behind than Ben."

"How did you die?"

"It was very horrible. It's better that you don't know."

Walt got agitated. "You still treat me like a baby! If you love me, you'll show me everything. I deserve to know the whole truth."

Michael sighed. "If you insist, you shall have it. Brace yourself."

A long sequence of images flowed through Walt's subconscious mind. He saw the freighter, people frantically running about, the helicopter leaving the freighter deck, and then a tremendous explosion. Walt twitched violently, and images from the island kept coming. He saw many things through Michael's eyes, many of those images quite disturbing. But it ended on a much happier note with the rescue of Cindy, Emma, and Zach.

"Dad, don't you realize you're a hero? If you hadn't delayed that bomb, Jack, Hurley, and everybody would have been killed, Jacob wouldn't have gotten a replacement, and that Man in Black guy would have won. You had a hand in saving the world."

"That's giving me way too much credit. We can't know that for sure, but it's good to hear you think that of me. I have done all I came to."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I don't know. If you really want to, I will be here. But you have to look to the future and live your own life now."

"Is this good-bye then?"

"Yes, but one thing. In the morning there will be someone very anxious to see you. Good-bye, and remember that I will always love you."

"Wait …"

The images faded. Walt pawed the air in his sleep – and then woke up screaming.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Walt's grandmother and Michael's mother, Noreen, was jolted out of her sleep. She put on a robe and went to Walt's room to find her grandson sitting bolt upright in his pajamas thoroughly soaked in sweat.

"Walt honey, it's okay. It's been quite a while since you woke up like that."

Walt needed a minute to get his heartbeat and breathing back to only moderately above normal. "I'm okay, Grandma. Dad … he's dead. I saw him. It was pretty awful, but he died helping save people from that island we were on. And maybe a lot more. He had to make up for … the bad things he did there. But everything he did was to get me back home safe."

Noreen didn't want to agitate Walt further. "Are you sure you're all right? We can talk about this in the morning."

"Yes, I'm all right now. And I will be from now on. Good night, Grandma."

"Good night, Walt."

Back on the airplane, Michael settled back in his seat. An enormous sense of relief filled his soul, a feeling he might never have had experienced. He declined to wake up Hurley, and the plane sped through the night across the country.

Near dawn the plane touched down in a suburban field. Another driver was waiting, and drove Hurley and Vincent for an hour-long drive to the address provided by Michael.

Hurley asked, "How do you want to handle this?"

"I have to stay invisible. I can't let my mother think I'm floating around nearby; the shock might kill her. Walt was used to strange images and dreams, so I knew he would be okay."

"All right then."

Hurley got out, and opened the limo door for Vincent. Vincent got a final look at Michael before he vanished, and the Labrador sensed something big was up. Vincent went with Hurley to the front door, and sniffed the doorknob. He picked up a familiar scent. He barked more loudly and intensely than he ever had in his life.

Hurley took several steps back. Inside the house, Walt and Noreen were eating breakfast, early enough for Walt to walk to school.

"Why on earth is there a dog barking at the door?" asked the grandmother in an annoyed manner.

"I don't know … wait, that sounds like … and Dad said I'd have a visitor …"

Walt bolted out of his chair, knocking it over. He sprinted to the front door, ignoring anything Grandma might have said. He fumbled with the lock, and threw open the door.

"VINCENT!"

There was a rather violent collision between the young teenager and the dog, but neither seemed the worse for it.

"Who is this?" asked Noreen.

"It's my dog Vincent; we had to leave him behind on the island. Vincent, how did you get here?"

Walt looked up, and saw Hurley several steps away.

"Hurley? You … Dad … I saw … " Walt was too excited to speak coherently.

Noreen recognized Hurley from the Santa Rosa institute.

"You … what is the meaning of this?"

"Ma'am, first I have some bad news. Your son … passed away some time ago."

Noreen took a deep breath. "That's what Walt just told me. I have accepted that my son was no longer the man he used to be."

"I want you to know that he died saving several of our lives back on that island, myself included. He wanted to redeem himself for … the extreme measures he took to rescue Walt after he had been kidnapped. I'll let Walt describe that to you if he wants."

"About this dog …"

"I know; you aren't prepared for him. I've a few little presents."

Hurley signaled to the driver, who brought out a leash, a large bag of dog food, and a pooper scooper.

"Walt also shouldn't have to go under an assumed name," continued Hurley. "My lawyers will take care of everything."

"That's how it should be. I had to tell the authorities that Walt was the son of my nephew and a tramp who never registered his birth and had both died. But won't the legal stuff be expensive?"

"It's all on me. I can afford it; my investments have gone up since I won that lottery, and I'm responsible for prolonging his and your anxiety. I should have told you your son was dead when you came all that way to see me in California."

Noreen frowned, and then lightened up. "Well, considering all my grandson has been through and the circumstances, I think we can accept your generosity."

"There's more. Walt, come here, please."

Walt had been too busy romping around with Vincent to pay attention to the conversation between his grandmother and Hurley.

"I owe you $83,000 from those backgammon games, and I'm making good on that debt now."

"What is this now?" inquired Noreen.

Walt explained, "Another passenger, John Locke, taught me backgammon, and Hurley and I played lots of games to pass the time, like for a thousand dollars a game. But I never expected you to pay that."

"You didn't know I was rich at the time."

"We can't accept gambling winnings," insisted Noreen. "Gambling is wrong, especially when one of the gamblers is a child."

"I insist. My money brings me bad luck if I don't give it away. But tell you what; how about I set it up as a college trust fund for Walt? Funds can only be withdrawn for college expenses, for whatever college he gets into."

It was all so fast for Noreen. "It still doesn't seem right, but it might be acceptable. We will think about it."

"Okay then. I have other matters to attend to. Good luck with everything."

"Good-bye, Mr. … Reyes, was it? And I must say, you are definitely not crazy."

"Good-bye, Hurley," said Walt. "Thank you so much for bringing Vincent to me, and everything."

"Bye, Walt."

Hurley was driven back to the suburban airport for the return trip to Los Angeles. Michael materialized beside him when the plane was in the air.

"That was beautiful, Hurley. You're a great person, and the island couldn't have a better protector."

"Thanks, dude. There is something you have to do now."

"What is it?"

"You have to see Desmond. I can't explain it, but it's something about moving on. You can't remain a ghost on this world forever."

"After all you've done I'd do anything for you."

"You're not confined to this plane, are you? You can go see him now if he's not busy."

"I can. But what are you going to do?"

"I have to sign some legal papers, say good-bye to my parents, but not forever, and pick up a couple of Labradors from a shelter for Rose and Bernard, and then I'm going back to the island."

"I guess you don't need me then. Thanks for everything."

Michael vanished, and reappeared on Desmond and Penny's yacht. It had been located quickly by detectives hired by Hurley, and had not been moved too far from its Long Beach dock. It was early morning there, and Michael waited until Desmond was up and alone in a room.

"Desmond? Hurley said I had to see you."

"Michael? How did the visit to your son go?"

"It was perfect. Walt has made his peace with me, he and Vincent are together, and I think he has a bright future."

"Good. Now you have to prepare yourself for the next world."

"Next world? What do you mean?"

"You will have to find out for yourself." Desmond reached out where Michael's shoulder appeared to be, and Desmond's hand shook for a moment. Desmond frowned as a vision flashed through his eyes.

"What is it?"

"This new world will be difficult for you. Very unpleasant at first. Things will be very different, unrecognizable. And you won't remember anything about this world until someone you care about is aware and comes in contact with you."

"What are you talking about?"

But Michael was fading away into the unknown.


	5. Forevermore: The End and the Beginning

The story now shifts to the alternate "flash-sideways" world.

* * *

Desmond and Hugo were meeting in Hugo's office.

"So have you determined who's next on the list?" asked Hugo.

"Yes. It's Michael Dawson.," replied Desmond.

Hugo had to take a deep breath. "This will be a tough one."

"Aye, brother. Do you know who can help him cross?"

"There is only one person."

"It's clear who that must be."

"Yes, you two had some special abilities in common."

"Ate, we did. Of course we have to get him to cross first. It's fortunate we can directly help him cross. Will you handle this personally?"

"I am at best the second-best candidate for this particular job. There was one other person who had a much stronger connection with him on the island. Now let's see what we can find out."

Hugo performs a search on the computer in front of him, and his jaw drops.

Desmond was surprised by Hugo's reaction. "What's wrong?"

"This reality … in his case it's nothing like the one we came from."

"Lots of things are different. We have to accept and deal with it. So how is this going to work?"

"I'm going to have to fly to New York., and take John Locke with me. But this case could use a cop, and we have the perfect man for this job: James Ford."

"Interesting. I'll go to the church and get them."

Desmond left and around an hour later John and James showed up.

"Hey dudes, thanks for coming. James, sorry to have to take you away from Juliet."

"Not a problem. We have all the time in the world now, and this gives Juliet a chance to visit her sister Rachel and nephew."

"Great. Well, may as well get going."

Hugo, John, and James went outside to a waiting limousine chauffeured by George Minkowski. He drove them to Hugo's private plane, where Frank Lapidus was waiting. Once they were in the air, they read the disturbing report.

On August 22, 1994, Susan Lloyd gave birth to a boy named Walter, after his father Michael Dawson's father. The parents never married, and in 1996 Susan ran off with her boss Brian Porter and took Walt with her. This started Michael off into a downward spiral. He turned to alcohol, lost his job, and has been mainly living on the streets as a homeless person. He has tried selling his art on the street, but couldn't make a real living on that.

In 2004, Susan and Brian were convicted of perjury in an international kidnapping case. Michael was considered to be awarded custody of Walt, but with no address he couldn't be located. Walt had no interest in living with someone he never met or heard from. With no other choice, Michael's mother Noreen was awarded custody of Walt.

With a generally bad attitude toward life, Walt fell into the gang world. It started out with vandalism and petty theft, and grew into more serious crimes like dealing drugs and armed robbery. His weapon of choice was a knife, and he was once caught on a surveillance camera throwing one across the street with enough force to cut through a car tire. He has spent several weeks in a juvenile detention facility, but was currently living in his grandmother's house.

John Locke shook his head. "Are you sure about that report, Hugo?"

"It's been verified by multiple independent sources."

"Well then, we better make an appropriate plan."

"There will be an unmarked police car waiting for us. I've made arrangements for James to operate it."

The plane touched down shortly before sunset. As Hugo had promised, the squad car was waiting, and a representative handed the keys to James.

"Know where we're going?" asked James.

"We have a description of the blocks Walt is most likely to be, around the perimeter of his gang's turf," replied Hugo.

"So we should just cruise along until we see him?"

"That's right," inserted John. "Then get out of sight and I'll approach him alone. Give me a couple minutes, and then pick us up."

They got in the car and went to the indicated area after night had fallen. James drove up and down many blocks before they spotted their target, walking away from them. James abruptly turned right into the next street so they wouldn't be seen.

"Think that was him? Looked about the right age, fourteen now?" asked Hugo.

"According to that report, those are his gang colors on that leather jacket he's wearing," answered James.

"That's him. The way he was walking; I'm sure of it. Get to a point two blocks in front of him, and be ready."

James turned left and then drove three blocks, and made another left. John got out, and turned left so that he was walking toward Walt on the same side of the street. John purposefully walked unsteadily as if he had a bit too much to drink.

Walt spotted John as he turned onto the street two blocks ahead of him. Walt slowed his pace down to see if the potential victim was alone. That proved to be the case, and no cars were moving in any direction. Walt stopped, and hung in the shadows, plotting where the confrontation could take place. He calculated that at a point half a block ahead, he could duck into an alley and then into a decaying housing complex. It would be unlikely he would be followed there, whether or not anything went wrong.

Walt resumed walking, timing it very well. He and John were very close to the dark alley, when Walt suddenly pulled his knife from a sheath inside his jacket and yelled, "Freeze!"

John acted shaken and terrified, and froze.

"Give me your wallet, old man, and don't try anything stupid," commanded the young gang member.

Without taking his eyes off Walt's, which showed no indication of recognition, John slowly reached into his back pocket, and pulled out his wallet. He extended his right arm slowly towards Walt's left hand, as Walt held the knife in his right.

"I-I won't cause any trouble …" John watched as Walt momentarily shifted the focus of his eyes to grab the wallet out of John's hand. At that instant, John continued, "… Walter."

Walt was momentarily shaken at hearing his name. His hesitation gave John enough time to grab Walt's right wrist with his left hand. It wasn't with enough force to twist the knife out of Walt's hand or cause Walt to lose his grip, but it was enough to send a shock through Walt's body.

"How do you know my name? Who are you …?" but Walt was already seeing flashes of scenes before his eyes. He saw this man holding his arm by a cave, and the phrase "Don't open that thing," went through his mind. Then Walt saw himself hurling a knife at a tree. Next he saw a polar bear clawing at him, with him taking refuge within some densely packed trees.

"What is this? Where have I seen you?"

"You must remember, Walt."

"I … I'm not sure …"

The two remained frozen, and Walt didn't notice the car approaching. James was out in a flash.

"Is there a problem here?"

"Yes officer, this hoodlum is robbing me," answered John.

Walt was distracted again. "Hoodlum? How old are you … ?"

Taking advantage of Walt's being distracted, James expertly slapped a pair of handcuffs on Walt's wrists. James twisted Walt's arm so he dropped the knife, and John picked it up. In the course of his arm being twisted, Walt had more flashes. He saw handcuffs on the ground, not just any handcuffs, but handcuffs identical to those he had on now. Then he saw this man on … a raft in the ocean? He was reading messages in a bottle, and then in the next flash this man was being shot.

"You … we were … where?"

James and John were silent, hoping that Walt would remember fully. Walt stared at the handcuffs locked onto his wrists. _Locked_ he thought. _Locked … Lock … Locke…_

"Your name is Locke!" he shouted.

"Walt, you're remembering!" exclaimed John.

"Do you remember me, Short Stuff?" grinned James.

"You're … you … stupid nicknames … we were somewhere … the raft …"

"Guess you need a little more encouragement. In you go."

James opened the back door of the car and shoved Walt in. Sitting on the opposite side was Hugo, with an open backgammon set in the middle.

"Dude, you're getting big."

Hugo reached out to shake Walt's shackled hand, and Walt didn't resist. He was not surprised to see more flashes. He was playing backgammon with this man on a beach. There was something a comic book written in Spanish with an alien on its cover. There was fire, and rain, and a dog. And everything flooded back to Walt.

"You're Sawyer! And you're Hurley!"

James chuckled. "I don't use that name here, Kiddo. Call me James."

"And I use my real name, Hugo."

"I remember everything!" said Walt excitedly. "The island, the plane crash … wait, what is this place? What is this life? Is this one of those experiments those guys, you know, Ben, Bea, Juliet, did to me?"

"That's an interesting conjecture," responded John, "but that is not what is going on here. What is important is that we find your father."

"My Dad? I never met him here … I mean … in this life. How would I know where he is?"

"I have faith in you. You're special, and if you picture him in your mind's eye, I'm sure you can locate him."

"The last reports we had is that he was homeless, somewhere in the city," commented Hugo.

"Maybe it would help if I take those cuffs off." James leaned back to unlock the handcuffs, but Walt pulled away.

"No. The island stuff helps me concentrate …" Walt leaned over to pick up the dice from the backgammon set, and shook them in his cuffed hands. He closed his eyes, and a vague, dark image formed. "Go that way."

Walt pointed west, and James put the car into drive.

"Will this help?" John, in the front passenger seat, offered the knife back to Walt, who accepted it silently by nodding. Walt then appeared to John and Hugo to go into a deep trance.

After about fifteen minutes, Walt murmured in a low voice, "Turn right." A few minutes later there was a simple "Turn left." A couple turns later and they were at the corner of a park that appeared deserted. "He's in here somewhere."

Walt's head snapped up as he came out of his trance. He dropped the dice and knife onto the backgammon board, and chuckled as he extended his hands toward James. "You can take the handcuffs off now, officer James."

It was good to see Walt acquiring a sense of humor. James decided to respond in kind. "I'll trust you now, Mr. Hoodlum, but if you try anything, next time they'll go on behind your back."

Sawyer unlocked the handcuffs, and they all got out.

"Do you know exactly where your Dad is?" asked Hugo.

"This is as close as I can determine," replied Walt.

"No problem, I still have excellent tracking skills," commented John. "I doubt he'd have been covering his tracks. There's been some activity in this direction."

They walked around in the dark for the better part of half an hour, when they came across an unconscious man in a battered refrigerator carton. One end was open a small amount, and the box was rather well concealed in some dense brush. He was breathing shallowly and barely recognizable as Michael with a heavy beard.

"Let me handle this." James reached in and shook Michael's shoulder. "Wake up, man."

Michael stirred, and in a slurred speech, croaked out, "Leave me alone."

"No you don't, there's someone special here to see you."

"Go away."

James grabbed Michael's wrist and pulled him out, with John grabbing Michael's other arm. Michael showed no hint of anything out of the ordinary happening as a result of the contact.

"Can't you guys leave an old man in peace?" complained Michael, as he was brought to his feet."

"No, dude, your son is here to see you," insisted Hugo.

"I don't have a son." Michael glared at Hugo, and James, and then the boy he didn't recognize.

Walt was disappointed in Michael's reactions so far, but knew what he had to do. With Michael's arms still being held, it was easy for Walt to grab and shake Michael's hand.

"Yes you do, Dad. You must remember me."

There was nothing at first. Michael frowned at Walt, and then looked away.

"Is this some con? I ain't falling for it."

"No Dad, this is for real."

Walt gripped Michael's hand more tightly, and felt a flicker of something. Walt reached for Michael's other hand. With their arms crossing, the sensation was amplified.

"What are you trying to pull?"

Michael was alarmed, and tried to pull away, but Walt was not letting go. Michael shook, shivered, and trembled, and then a torrent of images flooded his brain. A burning airplane, the boy in front of him throwing knives with the bald man before him, the same two fending off a polar bear, carrying one of the other men in front of him on a stretcher through the jungle, and a gut-wrenching scene of the boy being spirited away on a receding powerboat.

"WAAAAAALLLLLLLT!"

Michael broke free of all the hands holding him and hugged Walt tight, nearly cracking several ribs.

"Dad, you remember!"

"Yes Walt, but … what's going on?"

"I'm not sure. Mr. Locke, Sawyer, and Hurley found me, but I'm supposed to call them John, James, and Hugo now, and … I don't know."

"Come, we have to make a little plane trip. There will be time to explain things, but see what you come up with on your own," chimed in Hugo.

They all got out of the park, and into the unmarked squad car. This time Hugo sat in front, so there was enough room in the back for Walt to squeeze in between Michael and John. James drove back to the airfield, and Frank flew them back to Los Angeles. During the flight there was plenty of time to puzzle things out.

"This other life," started Michael. "I was killed in the freighter explosion."

"That's what you told me in a dream," responded Walt.

"What happened to you after that?"

"I … need to concentrate …. I did okay after that. Vincent lived with me and Grandma and passed away when I was in college. I met those other two kids, Emma and Zach, and Cindy, when Hurley arranged for us to meet at Disney World, and we kept in touch our whole lives. I got married and had a son I named Michael, and two daughters. I had a good career as an artist, and … I think got to be a great-grandfather and lived to be 108. But … what am I doing here?"

"Is this an experiment? Are we imagining things? I don't know what is real any more, but … could you at least take off those gang colors? That isn't the Walt I knew."

"Sure. It will be hot in California anyway, but …" Walt took off his jacket, only to reveal gang symbols tattooed onto his upper arms.

Hugo broke in, "No problem, Jack can surgically remove those, and you'll never know you had them."

"Um, okay, so Jack is still a doctor here?" asked Walt.

"Some things aren't very different in this world, while others are. Jack can do anything medically here."

"What do you mean, 'this world'?" enquired Michael. "You make it sound like this is a place we go after we die, like an afterlife?"

Now Walt was concerned. "You mean we're all dead, and this is … what is it?"

"You're on the right track," offered Hugo. "There is a place we have to go; a place we all had a piece of in making."

The plane landed, and George was there in the limo to drive them all to a church. They passed a lonely man sitting on a bench, who stood up as they came by and spoke.

"Thank goodness you made it. I need to apologize to both of you for all the pain and suffering I caused you."

Michael had trouble placing Benjamin Linus, as they had only met briefly. Walt caught on much more quickly.

"I think I understand. You needed to know if I could … do certain things. But Desmond was much better at it."

Michael figured out that it was Ben. Michael clenched his fist, but didn't strike Ben as Walt was calm. "Walt, how do you know about Desmond?"

"Hurley … Hugo had us meet after he visited me. It helped both of us understand everything about the island."

"That's … good I guess. But there's an awful lot I don't understand about that island, and what we're doing here."

Hugo stepped up. "It's time to go inside. There is someone there who will explain a few things."

Michael was still in a bit of a daze, and let Hugo lead him and Walt up some stairs into a small room. Michael started when he recognized the man inside.

"You! You were the last thing I saw in my … other life! Who are you?"

"My name is Christian Shephard, Jack's father. I had to let you know that the island was done with you in your first life, so that you could move on. Now if you would step through that doorway, there are people who are waiting for you."

"Move on? I don't understand."

"You might call this an afterlife. This place is the product of those you knew on the island. But you must face them."

"But after what I did …"

"You must hear what they have to say."

Michael walked as though he was in a fog, and Walt followed behind him. In the next room, a much larger one, were all those he had spend the first several weeks on the island.

"Welcome, Michael, Walt," Hugo had slipped around and entered through another door with James and John.

Michael let his eyes wander about the room. Everyone was having a good time, talking and even a few dancing.

"I … I'm so sorry for what I did. I … I shouldn't be here."

"Nonsense. We are all flawed," explained Hugo.

"But not as much as me," contended Michael. "I killed two people and betrayed four more to get Walt out of the hands of those horrible people and off the island."

"While you didn't do the right thing that time, you were under exceptional stress. The important thing is that Libby and I have all the time in the world to be together now. And there are a lot of stories here we can tell."

"I may as well start," announced James. "I killed an innocent man in Australia believing he was the one who conned my parents and caused their deaths. I did kill the right man on the island. And another time, I killed a tree frog because its chirping was annoying me. I changed since, and meeting Juliet had a lot to do with it."

:"I murdered my own father, who had been abusing my mother and me," explained Kate. "I thought I was protecting my mother, but she disapproved and turned me in. When I was running, I committed more crimes, including robbing a bank, but the worst was when my boyfriend was killed in a shootout."

Jin stepped up next. "I would have killed you right in front of your son if James and Sayid hadn't stopped me. All for just a watch. Not to mention all the beatings I delivered working for my father-in-law."

Sun: "And I'm not the angel you might think me to be. It was I who poisoned you just before you set sail on the raft. I was trying to poison Jin to keep him from leaving me. If I had put much more in that water bottle, I might have killed you."

Michael was stunned to hear all these confessions. But it was not over.

Charlie was next. "It was I who kidnapped and terrified Sun in a stupid scheme hatched with James. And then to find out later she was pregnant at the time. And … I let my emotions get the best of me when I shot Ethan. We should have tried to get information out of him. Maybe that would have spared us a lot of trouble afterward, maybe not, but it was worth a shot."

"And I killed someone I didn't have to," added Claire. "An Other named Justin. I caught him in a trap, and … I wasn't in my right mind. A lot like you."

It was Sayid's turn. "I killed several people for Ben under the belief I was somehow helping those still on the island. Many times I have killed out of necessity, but on many other occasions it was not."

"Don't forget I killed Naomi," spoke up John. "Of all the things I did in the name of protecting the island that was the worst by far, and it didn't accomplish anything positive for us."

"And I would have shot John in the head if the gun I had at the time wasn't loaded," said Jack. "And off the island, I stole drugs from my hospital and hid my drug use, and could have put patients at risk."

Boone had something to day. "When I was a little kid, I was a brat. I constantly made my nanny Theresa come up and down the stairs to cater to my selfish whims, and one day she fell and broke her neck."

"And if I was a faster or better shot, I would have killed John in revenge for Boone's death," noted Shannon.

"Wow," finally responded Michael. "I didn't realize … all of you but Hurley, and Walt of course."

"Actually two people died when I stepped onto an overcrowded deck and it collapsed," mentioned Hugo. "Of course it was unintentional, but if I hadn't been so overweight, who knows? The important thing is that we are not necessarily judged by our worst moments. We remember you as the man who helped out a lot building things, shoring up the cave after the cave-in trapped Charlie and Jack, insisting on carrying James back on the stretcher from the other side of the island, sacrificing yourself so the Oceanic Six could survive, and as a ghost saving the lives of Cindy, Emma, and Zach."

"Can I say something?" asked Walt. "I never apologized to everyone for burning the first raft. Because of me there was a lot of fighting, and Jin got beat up. Maybe that raft would have made it, and a lot of the bad stuff never would have happened."

"I'm proud of you, son," said Michael. "But maybe that raft wouldn't have made it, or we wouldn't have been able to find the island again to help the rest of us, or maybe the same things would have happened. Ben probably had someone watching us from a distance the whole time."

"It doesn't matter now," Christian had come up from behind. "You and Walt go through that door there, and live your lives over again. You can do anything, and have all eternity in which to do it. Come back here any time, and do it again."

"But what about this life we just came from? It was miserable."

"This world is a bit unpredictable, but I believe it had something to do with showing how much Walt and you needed each other. Without your influence, Walt was destined to head down a troubling path. And without Walt, you felt you had nothing to live for."

Michael and Walt looked at each other, and then nodded.

Desmond and Penny made an entrance, and Desmond strode to the indicated door. On a table was a book with pages filled with names, many of them crossed out. Desmond and Hugo showed it to Michael and Walt, and with the stroke of a pen Desmond crossed off the first two names that had yet to be stricken out: Michael Dawson and Walt Lloyd. There were names below theirs: Leslie Arzt, Ana-Lucia Cortez, Eko Tunde, and several more.

"I think I get it," said Michael. "You're going to help those cross next? Can we help?"

"We will help those," explained Desmond, "but we don't need you, at least not now. Go out there with Walt and experience a life you deserve."

"We can't thank all of you enough."

Michael and Walt went through the door, to be greeted by an ecstatic Labrador.

"Vincent! How did you get here?" shouted Walt. "You were left behind in Australia when I had to move to the States."

Vincent barked happily. Michael tried to answer.

"It wouldn't be much of an afterlife without him, would it? Come on, and let's see what this world has in store for us."


End file.
